On sets defining few ordinary lines

DOI10.1007/S00454-013-9518-9zbMATH Open1309.51002arXiv1208.4714OpenAlexW2053849387WikidataQ55953877 ScholiaQ55953877MaRDI QIDQ368773FDOQ368773

Authors: Terence Tao, Ben Green 

Publication date: 23 September 2013

Published in: Discrete \& Computational Geometry (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Let P be a set of n points in the plane, not all on a line. We show that if n is large then there are at least n/2 ordinary lines, that is to say lines passing through exactly two points of P. This confirms, for large n, a conjecture of Dirac and Motzkin. In fact we describe the exact extremisers for this problem, as well as all sets having fewer than n - C ordinary lines for some absolute constant C. We also solve, for large n, the "orchard-planting problem", which asks for the maximum number of lines through exactly 3 points of P. Underlying these results is a structure theorem which states that if P has at most Kn ordinary lines then all but O(K) points of P lie on a cubic curve, if n is sufficiently large depending on K.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1208.4714

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zbMATH Keywords

cubic curvesDirac-Motzkin conjectureorchard-planting problemordinary linesSylvester-Gallai theorem

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Other designs, configurations (05B30) Linear algebraic groups over finite fields (20G40) Incidence structures embeddable into projective geometries (51A45) Configuration theorems in linear incidence geometry (51A20)

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Cited In (58)

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• On the number of ordinary conics
• A pseudoline counterexample to the strong Dirac conjecture
• Consistent sets of lines with no colorful incidence
• On sets of \(n\) points in general position that determine lines that can be pierced by \(n\) points
• There exist \(6n/13\) ordinary points
• Line arrangements with the maximal number of triple points
• A greedy algorithm to compute arrangements of lines in the projective plane
• Ordinary planes, coplanar quadruples, and space quartics
• Incidence geometry and universality in the tropical plane
• On sets defining few ordinary planes
• On the minimum number of ordinary conics
• On the parameter spaces of some Böröczky configurations
• Extremal problems related to the Sylvester-Gallai theorem
• Book review of: L. Guth, Polynomial methods in combinatorics
• Bisector energy and few distinct distances
• Many collinear \(k\)-tuples with no \(k+1\) collinear points
• On sets defining few ordinary solids
• Hirzebruch-type inequalities viewed as tools in combinatorics
• Tits arrangements on cubic curves
• Algebraic combinatorial geometry: the polynomial method in arithmetic combinatorics, incidence combinatorics, and number theory
• Nordhaus-Gaddum-type problems for lines in hypergraphs
• A Sylvester-Gallai theorem for cubic curves
• Generalizing Korchmáros-Mazzocca arcs
• Ordinary hyperspheres and spherical curves
• A Sylvester-Gallai result for concurrent lines in the complex plane
• Real and complex supersolvable line arrangements in the projective plane
• Intersections and circuits in sets of line segments
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• Model theory: combinatorics, groups, valued fields and neostability. Abstracts from the workshop held January 8--14, 2023
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• Simple wedge points
• Classification theorem for strong triangle blocking arrangements
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• On the usage of lines in \(GC_n\) sets
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• On the energy variant of the sum-product conjecture
• On sets defining few ordinary circles
• On the number of ordinary lines determined by sets in complex space
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• Webs of rational curves on real surfaces and a classification of real weak del Pezzo surfaces
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• On the structure of pointsets with many collinear triples
• Concyclic intervals in the plane
• On triple lines and cubic curves: the orchard problem revisited
• The Dirac-Goodman-Pollack conjecture
• Line arrangements with many triple points

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